Mechanosensitive ion transport in hexagonal boron nitride nanopores
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: In biological systems, mechanical strain can trigger strong changes in ion conductance and signaling, yet in synthetic nanopores, achieving similar mechanosensitive behavior has been a significant challenge. Here, we demonstrate that subtle mechanical strain can induce strong modulation of ionic current in small hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanopores. Using hydrostatic pressure to apply small lateral strain to free-standing single-layer h-BN membranes featuring triangular sub-1-nm nanopores, we observed ion conductance modulation exceeding 1 30% under 0.5% strain. We attribute this response to the strain-dependent interplay of ionpore and ion-water interactions within the nanopore. The measured mechanosensitivity values also agreed strongly with those obtained from modeling of strain-tunable transport in ensembles of h-BN nanopores. These findings establish a framework for developing strain-responsive membranes for applications in molecular separations and sensing.
Source: ChemRxiv
Institutions: University of California, Merced, University of California System, National Institute of Standards and Technology, University of California, Berkeley, IMEC, University of Maryland, College Park, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Molecular Foundry
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225404669